1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of commercial play structures and, in particular, to water slide play structures.
2. Description of the Related Art
The popularity of family-oriented theme parks and commercial recreational facilities has increased steadily in the last decade. Water parks, in particular, have proliferated as adults and children alike seek the thrill and entertainment of water attractions as a healthy and enjoyable way to cool off in the hot summer months.
Water parks typically incorporate a variety of different water attractions. One of the most popular water attractions is the water slide. Commercial water slides typically include a riding surface and a plurality of water outlets at the upper entrance portion thereof for admitting water directly onto the riding surface. The water on the riding surface provides a lubricant, reducing friction between the ride participant and the riding surface. Additional water outlets may be interspersed at intervals along the length of the slide, as desired, to provide additional lubricant and/or to accelerate or decelerate the ride participant, as desired. The pull of gravity and/or water acceleration propels the ride participant from one end of the slide to the other. The ride participant typically exits the ride at the end by splashing into a receiving pool.
A climbing structure or stairway is typically provided adjacent the slide to enable ride participants to ascend to the entrance of the slide, usually the uppermost portion. Typically, only one person at a time is able to slide down the slide; others are either climbing the stairs to the top and/or waiting in an adjacent queuing area for their turn to ride down the water slide. Due to the popularity of these rides, queuing areas often extend down the climbing structure and participants may be forced to wait up to 20 minutes or more for their turn to slide down the riding surface. The extended waiting time is a common complaint among ride participants since the ride itself only lasts less than about a minute.
To help alleviate these problems and to create a more exciting water slide experience my U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,197 first disclosed the concept of a participatory water slide play structure in which various water forming devices are positioned over the slide for expelling water onto play participants as they slide down the slide. The devices are arranged such that they can be actuated by the play participants waiting in line or ascending the adjacent climbing structure. It was found that by providing activities for persons waiting in line, their attention was diverted from the tiresome wait and they were able to enjoy and even look forward to their turn in line.
While this generally improved the morale of those play participants waiting in line, the slide experience itself remained largely "passive"--that is, the play participants sliding down the slide (sometimes referred to herein as "ride participants") could not interact with the ride or other play participants once they began their descent down the riding surface. As a result, these ride participants often became the passive "victims" of other play participants controlling the various water forming elements. The slide experience for many of these ride participants often became a hapless ride through a gauntlet of water sprays, jets and water falls with no means to avoid being targeted or to fight back.